Hidden Secrets Sequel to Miss Independent
by dreamer82687
Summary: Chapter 7: Theresa finally opens up to Fox and tells him how she truly feels.
1. Jaw Dropper

"Oh my God Ethan, she's beautiful." Gwen said happily as she looked down at her newborn daughter.  
  
"Yes she is. Our little Madison." he said grinning from ear to ear.  
  
"I want to meet the surrogate mother. I want to thank her for helping us." she said wistfully.  
  
"We're going to meet her. You have to be patient, she said she would be here any minute." Ethan said looking at his watch.  
  
"I'm so excited, I have so many questions to ask her." she said excitedly.  
  
The doorbell suddenly rang interrupting their conversation.  
  
"There she is!" Ethan said jumping up to answer the door. He opened the door and was in for the shock of his life.  
  
"Hi, I'm Madison's surrogate mother." the woman said smiling.  
  
"Oh my God." Ethan said stunned.  
  
"Ethan, is everything alright?" Gwen said approaching him. Her eyes suddenly fixed on what Ethan was staring at. Her mouth dropped open and words couldn't come out of her mouth.  
  
"Hi Gwen, I see you're getting acquainted with Madison."  
  
"What are you doing here?" Gwen finally asked.  
  
"Didn't you know? I'm the surrogate mother."  
  
Gwen looked down at Madison as all of her nightmares became reality. Of all people Theresa was the surrogate mother of her baby.  
  
"It's been so long." Theresa said letting herself in. "We have a lot to catch up on."  
  
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Talk about a shocker lol. I know I had some what started a Miss Independent 2 already, but I liked this idea better! Please read and review! The more reviews, the more I write! 


	2. Reminder of the Past

"Theresa?" Gwen repeated again as her muscles tightened.  
  
"Aww, you missed me?" Theresa said as she sat down on a couch in the living room.  
  
"I...you...no!" Gwen said finally getting her words together.  
  
A stunned Ethan just stood in the doorway not believing his eyes.  
  
"I guess you're wondering how this all happened." Theresa said nonchalantly.  
  
"Yes! I want answers and I want them now!" she demanded.  
  
"Well," Theresa paused "could I have a glass of water?"  
  
Gwen rolled her eyes and turned to Ethan. "Can you get her a glass of water?"  
  
Ethan just stood there. He couldn't move.  
  
"Ethan!" Gwen snapped. Realizing he was too shocked to move she thrusted the baby into his arms and went to get Theresa a glass of water.  
  
"Thanks." Theresa said as Gwen handed her a glass of water.  
  
"Whatever. Are you going to tell me now?" she said unpatiently.  
  
Theresa nodded as she slowly drank down the glass of water. "Ah, refreshing!" she said as she downed the glass.  
  
"Theresa!" Gwen growled.  
  
"Fine, fine." Theresa replied, loving the way she was driving Gwen insane. "Well, I thought child birth was a wonderful experience so I wanted to try it. Low and behold while I was in California, you and Ethan show up on TV and the reporter said you were looking for a surrogate mother so I volunteered."  
  
"I always thought that the fact that the surrogate mother wanted to have a blind interview was mysterious." Gwen said angry that she didn't see it coming.  
  
"I was suprised that you were dumb enough to perform an interview with me behind a curtain." Theresa laughed. "Moving along with my story, I had the operation and everything pretty much went smoothly."  
  
"I can't believe this." Ethan finally said.  
  
"Oh, hi Ethan! So glad you could join us." Theresa said sarcastically.  
  
"Look," Gwen said breaking the ice, "I know we aren't on great terms right now with everything thats happened in the past few years, but I um...I'd like to thank you."  
  
"Well," Theresa said smiling, suprised by Gwens comment, "you're welcome. Just giving back to the community."  
  
Gwen rolled her eyes, tasting the bittersweetness in Theresa's voice. "That doesn't change the fact that you went behind my back while I was engaged to Ethan."  
  
"Oh, by the way. Did you guys kiss and makeup after I left? Cause I really thought you were over with." she struck back.  
  
"That's it Theresa!" Gwen yelled standing up. "Get out, now!" she said pointing towards the door.  
  
"Well," Theresa said standing up, "so much for being a welcomed guest." she quickly walked over to Ethan and kissed the baby on the forehead. "Bye Madison!" she turned and left leaving Ethan and Gwen to put the pieces together.  
  
________________________________________  
  
Fox began to play with his tie as the boring conference droned on. He knew that he should have come up with an excuse to why he couldn't make it. All this talk from CEO's of powerful companies was driving him insane. He could use a good drink right then. He excused himself from his table and walked out to find the nearest bar.   
  
As he downed his drink he heard the audience applauding. "Good, hopefully this stupid thing is almost over." he muttered to himself.  
  
He paid the bartender and made his way back into the conference room.   
  
"Last but not least I would like to introduce someone very special tonight." the hostess began.  
  
"Yeah, Fox Crane." he mumbled laughing at himself.  
  
"This woman started as an underdog at her company but quickly rose to be its CEO, proving that not all nice bosses get walked over."  
  
"Ha!" Fox said a little louder. "Wish she could teach me some tips!"  
  
He got a few dirty stares from people but he ignored them.  
  
"Everyone, please welcome Theresa Lopez-Fitzgerald!" the woman announced.  
  
Fox nearly choked on the air. He was probably hearing things, Theresa would never set foot in Harmony again. His eyes proved the woman right. Right before his eyes stepped a beautiful Theresa in a stunning gold gown onto the platform. "God she's even more beautiful." he said watching her intently.  
  
"Thank you." Theresa said acknowledging the applause. "I don't really have that much to say tonight because I know ALL of you want to go home."  
  
The crowd chuckled and she began to relax.  
  
"I think that one thing most CEO's need to realize is that putting on an act of toughness is nothing. I did that once. I did it for a long time until someone opened my eyes. Underneath that toughness there was someone who was scared and insecure. Believe me, being tough does nothing for you. It just hurts you even more."  
  
Fox drifted off as Theresa continued her speech. She was talking about him. He was the one who saw her for what she was and made her realize it. Of all the years he had last spoken to her, she remembered. Before he knew it Theresa's speech was over and she had left the stage. People began to brush past him and he quickly turned around hoping to catch up with her.   
  
After ten minutes of searching he found her. He paused as he watched her waiting for her ride. She had changed. He always thought she could never be any more beautiful than she already was but it was a lie.   
  
"Theresa." he called out. It felt good to say her name. It had been so long.  
  
At the sound of her name Theresa turned around. Her breathing became heavy as she recognized the person who called her. "Fox."  
  
Fox's heart raced as she turned to face him.  
  
"Fox?! Oh my gosh!" she exclaimed running over to give him a hug. "How are you?" she asked as she let go.  
  
"I'm-I'm good. You? You look great." he stuttered.  
  
"I'm good." she said smiling. "Wow, it's been a long time."  
  
"Yeah, so you're...you're a CEO now?"  
  
"Yeah, I am!" she smiled proudly.  
  
Their silence was quickly interrupted by the horn of Theresa's cab.  
  
"Well um, that's my cab." she said getting ready to leave.  
  
"Oh, how long will you be here?" he asked.  
  
"For a few weeks, I haven't spent time with my family in years." she replied. She pulled out a piece of paper and begin to write on it. "Here," she said handing the paper to him, "that's the hotel and the room number I'm staying in. Give me a call sometime or come visit me." She gave him a hug and began to walk away.  
  
"It was great seeing you!" he yelled after her.  
  
"Yeah!" she said turning around and walking backwards to her cab. "But really, call me or just drop by, we can do coffee, breakfast, lunch, dinner...whatever!"  
  
Fox laughed as Theresa accidently bumped into the cab. She was still clumsy. He waved to her as her cab pulled off and looked down at the paper she had given him. It seemed like he would be giving her a visit the next day. 


	3. The Man from the Pictures

Fox paused at the hall mirror to make sure that every hair on his head was in place. He smiled at himself and fixed his jacket. He hoped Theresa would like the flowers he had bought her. He stopped when he got to the hotel room and did a double check on the room number on the door and the number Theresa had written.  
  
"Yup, room 279." he said as he knocked on the door.  
  
To his suprise a man about his age answered the door. The man looked from Fox to the flowers. "My wife's not here."  
  
"Oh, I..I must have the wrong room." Fox said quickly.  
  
The man grumbled and shut the door.  
  
'Theresa's married?' Fox thought to himself. He walked away in disappointment and trashed the flowers in the nearby trashcan. He felt crush. He really thought he had a chance with her. Just then he heard the sound of a womans heels against the carpet.  
  
"Fox?" the voice said.  
  
Fox turned around to see Theresa with a bag of groceries.  
  
"Oh, hey." he said unenthusiastically.  
  
"What's wrong?" she asked concerned.  
  
"I just ran into your husband." Fox answered looking down at the floor.  
  
"My husband." she repeated smiling.  
  
"Yeah, look...I'm really happy for you. That's good that you've moved on." he congratulated her.  
  
Theresa just threw her head back and laughed.  
  
"What's so funny?" Fox asked confused.  
  
"I don't have a husband." she giggled.  
  
"You...you don't?" he said beginning to loosen up.  
  
"No. What room did you go to?"  
  
Fox looked down at the paper, "I went to room 279 like you said on the paper."  
  
"There enlies the problem." she grinned as she walked over to him. "That 9 is a 4."   
  
Fox squinted at her handwriting. "Oh. I thought it was a 9." he said embarassed.  
  
Theresa shook her head.  
  
"Well," Fox said running over to the trash can, "these are for you." he said thrusting the crooked flowers at Theresa.  
  
Theresa smiled at the withering flowers. "Thank you." she said as she took them from him. She walked over to her hotel room and paused. "274." she said as she opened the door.  
  
Fox laughed and followed her into the spacious suite.  
  
"She's sleeping Mrs. L-F." a woman said suddenly appearing.  
  
"Oh thanks. I'll see you tomorrow." she said as the lady disappeared.  
  
Fox stood confused as to who the lady was talking about. Before he could ask any questions Theresa began to talk.  
  
"It's so weird being back in Harmony. I ran into Miguel and Kay today. Never thought that Miguel would see anyone higher than Charity." she said as she put her groceries away.  
  
"Never would have thought so either." Fox repeated.  
  
"It's also weird to see Sheridan and Antonio together. I could have sworn that she would be with Luis forever." she rambled. "Gaw, I feel like I'm getting old. Everyone's growing up. Maria is like 4 now. Geez, time flys!"  
  
"I always knew you would come back someday." Fox said randomly.  
  
Theresa stopped and turned around to face him. "How'd you figure that?"  
  
"You love your family too much to be gone for a long time."  
  
"Yeah." Theresa replied. "I missed them a lot." she paused as she looked down at her hands. "I missed you too."  
  
Fox slowly walked over to her. "Gawd, I missed you too. The first few months that you were gone I couldn't get any sleep. All I could think about was what I was going to do since you were gone. I even kept a picture of you in my wallet to remind myself that good things can happen to a guy like me." he paused and took her face in his hands. "You were the best thing that has ever happened to me."  
  
Theresa put her hand on his hand as her eyes began to fill with tears. She closed her eyes as his hands caressed her face. His hot breath against her cheek felt so comforting.   
  
"Mommy!" a voice said interuppting them.  
  
Theresa immediately moved away from Fox as a little girl ran into the room.  
  
"Mommy, how come you didn't tell me you were home." the girl asked as Theresa gave her a hug.  
  
"Because you were sleep and I know how you feel about getting your sleep." Theresa answered as she crouched down so her face was at the same level as the girl's.  
  
"Who's he?" the girl said looking at Fox.  
  
"Um," Theresa said standing up, "that's Fox. He's an old friend of Mommy's."  
  
"That's the guy from the pictures!" she exclaimed as she stared at him.  
  
"Yeah..look, why don't you go in the room and I'll be there in a second, ok?"  
  
"Alright." the girl turned around and ran to her room.  
  
Theresa sighed and turned to face Fox.  
  
"Mommy?" he repeated, confused from what the little girl had said. "Man from the pictures?"  
  
"That's um...that's my daughter Hadley." she said nervously as she scratched her head.  
  
"Oh." Fox said trying not to sound as shocked as he really was. "Did you and her dad divorce?"  
  
"No." she said shaking her head.  
  
"Oh. So he's your boyfriend?" he asked looking down at the ground.  
  
"No."  
  
"Then who is he?"  
  
"Fox....Hadley's yours." she said quietly.  
  
"What did you say?" Fox choked.  
  
"I said Hadley's yours." she answered a little louder   
  
Fox looked in shock from Theresa to the hallway. "You mean to tell me, that's like, my daughter? Your daughter? Our daughter?"  
  
Theresa nodded, wishing she could sink into a hole.  
  
"Why didn't you tell me? How old is she?"  
  
"3." she replied covering her face.  
  
"3!" Fox yelled angrily. "You kept this from me for 3 years?"  
  
"Look, I didn't find out until I was in L.A." she defended herself.  
  
"Gawd Theresa! You could have told me I was a father! I would think that would be your first instinct!"   
  
"I knew that if I told you, you would insist on coming to California and I didn't want that to happen because my reason for moving there in the first place was to distance myself from everyone here." she said trying to tell her side of the story.  
  
"When were you going to tell me? What, when she was 10 or something? What were you going to say to her when she asked who her father was? Were you going to tell her that he was some jerk who dumped you when he found out that you were pregnant because that is NOT what happened!" he exploded.  
  
"She knows who you are, Fox!" she screamed back at him. "Didn't you hear her when she called you the man from the pictures?"  
  
"Oh, so that's all I am to her." he continued. "I'm just a man from a picture shes seen."  
  
"You are more than that." Theresa said holding back her tears.  
  
"How can I be when you won't let me?"  
  
Theresa just closed her eyes without responding. This was the was worst way Fox could take her news, and he was taking it hard.  
  
"Now you don't have anything to say, huh?" he grabbed his keys and waited for her to say something. "Fine, I'll leave the way I entered." he angrily walked towards the door and slammed it behind him.  
  
"Mommy?" Hadley asked running into the room.  
  
"Yes sweetie?" Theresa asked silently.  
  
"Why did Daddy leave?" she replied innocently.  
  
Theresa tried to hold back the tears that threatened to fall down her face. It broke her heart for Hadley to call Fox Daddy for the first time and he couldn't hear her. "Um," she began as she looked down at her daughter, "Daddy's just a little angry with Mommy that's all. He'll be back though, I promise."  
  
Hadley looked up at her mother and smiled. "Good. And when he comes back I want him to stay forever." 


	4. Running Away

Theresa angrily walked out of the elevator and towards Fox's office.  
  
"Excuse me Miss, Mr. Crane is busy." his secretary said.  
  
Theresa ignored the woman and kept walking.  
  
"Miss!" the secretary yelled after her.  
  
It was too late because Theresa had already let herself into Fox's office and had slammed the door behind her.  
  
Fox nearly jumped out of his seat at the sound of the slamming door. He looked desperately from Theresa to his phone.  
  
"How dare you walk out like you did last night!" Theresa said angrily.  
  
Fox held up his finger as he continued to talk on the phone.  
  
"This matter is more important than anyone who's on that phone." she snapped.  
  
Fox turned his back and cradled the phone with his left hand. With his free hand he wrote a note that said wait.  
  
"Wait?" Theresa spat. "I've waited for three years and I can't wait anymore!" Before Fox could react Theresa snatched the phone out of his hand and slammed it down, disconnecting whoever Fox was talking too.  
  
"What the hell did you do that for?" he said standing up.  
  
"I could ask you the same thing." she shot back.  
  
"Oh don't even go there Miss 'I had your child but I didn't want to tell you for three years'." he yelled.  
  
"Yeah, and you're Mr. 'Now that I know I have a child I can't be a man so I'll just run away from it!'' she screamed as she crossed her arms.  
  
"I'm not the one that ran, you are." he said pointing his finger at her.  
  
"So maybe I ran but you did too. You didn't even give me a real chance to explain." she argued.  
  
"Explain what Theresa? It's clear you want me to have nothing to do with...with...what's her name?"  
  
"It's Hadley." she snapped. "Weren't you even listening?"  
  
"I listened to every part and I don't want to hear any of it."  
  
"Fine." she said walking to the door. "I tried. Its so sad how you're running from all of this Fox. But go ahead. Have it your way, let your daughter grow up to be a bastard like you. The only difference is you didn't have Ivy or Julian, but my daughter has me and that's all she's going to need." before Fox could respond Theresa was gone as fast as she came.   
  
______________________________________________________  
  
"Mommy?" Hadley asked as she climbed into her bed.  
  
"Yes sweetie?" Theresa answered.  
  
"How come Daddy didn't come back? You promised." she pouted.  
  
Theresa sighed and sat down on the bed next to her. "Daddy's scared."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because... because Daddy doesn't know what it's like to be a Daddy and he's afraid he might hurt you." she replied.  
  
Before Hadley could ask anymore questions, there was a knock on the hotel door. Theresa got up and walked down the hall.  
  
"Fox." she said tightly as she opened the door.  
  
"Hi." he responded. "Look, I'm sorry for-"  
  
Theresa cut him off by holding up her hand "You don't have to apologize, I should be apologizing. Those things I said...I shouldn't have said them. It seems like Hadley has the most sense out of the both of us." she chuckled.  
  
"Yeah." Fox laughed.  
  
"Look," Theresa said running her hands through her hair, "I was uh, I was just about to tuck her in but do you want to do it? It would be a good way for you to get to know her.''  
  
"I...I don't know..." Fox drifted off.  
  
"Come on Fox, I've seen you with kids before. Hadley's a great kid."  
  
"Well...yeah, ok." Fox said nervously.  
  
Theresa grinned and took him by the hand. "Hadley." she said stopping in front of her room. "I want you to meet someone."   
  
She stepped away from the door and nudged a nervous Fox into the room. "I'll be down the hall if you need anything." she whispered.  
  
Fox looked from Hadley to Theresa as Theresa disappeared. "Hi." he said akwardly waving.  
  
"Hi." she repeated. "How come you left the other day?"  
  
"Well I...I was kind of suprised." he answered as he slowly walked towards her.  
  
"Mommy's showed me pictures of you."  
  
"So I've heard." he replied. "Um, I'm Fox." he said extending his hand.  
  
Hadley looked curiously at Fox's hand. "Fox?" she asked.  
  
"Yes." he pulled back his hand when he realized she wasn't going to shake it.  
  
"Daddy, why do you want me to call you Fox?" she questioned innocently.  
  
"You can call me whatever you want." Fox choked at the sound of Hadley calling him Daddy.  
  
"I like Daddy better." she extended her hand and Fox shook it.  
  
"So, what do you want to talk about?" he asked.  
  
"Mommy used to always talk about you." she began to talk.  
  
"Really? What did she say?"  
  
"She said that it hurt when she moved because she loved you." she recited.  
  
Fox felt his heart in his throat. "Really?"  
  
"Yeah. She said she left because she was afraid she was going to hurt you." she paused. "Why is everyone afraid of hurting someone? Mommy said you're afraid that you might hurt me, but you could never hurt me. Mommy's and Daddy's are here to make things better." she then began to yawn.  
  
"It's good to know that I can't hurt you." he said. When Hadley didn't answer he looked at her and realized that she had fallen asleep. He quietly pulled the sheets over her and tucked her in. He sat and watched her as she slept. Her golden brown hair shined and her long lashes adorned her closed eyelids. He could see his face and Theresa's face as he looked at her. Suddenly, the reality that she was his daughter washed throughout him. She was his responsibility, his seed, his daughter. He reached down and kissed her on the forehead.  
  
"Goodnight Hadley." he whispered. He quietly got up and walked out of the room.  
  
He walked down the hall to find Theresa washing dishes. He nervously ran his hands on the counter. "Hadley said you left because you were afraid you were going to hurt me." he said softly.  
  
Theresa turned off the water and slowly turned around.   
  
"She said you loved me." he continued. "Is it true?"  
  
Theresa nodded as tears began to slide down her face. "Yeah, its true." she managed to get out.  
  
"Theresa, you could never hurt me." he said embracing her.  
  
"I screwed up..." she sniffed.  
  
"No, no you didn't." he said stroking her hair. "Hadley...she's beautiful. And you know, she called me Daddy."  
  
Theresa pulled back and wiped her eyes. "I made sure she knew what a wonderful person you are, Fox."  
  
"I want to make this right." he said taking her hands in his. "I want to start over....nothing too fast, just slowly."  
  
"I'd like that." Theresa said smiling.  
  
"Good." he whispered. He could no longer resist the urge to kiss her and planted a sweet kiss on her lips. "I'll pick you up at 7 tomorrow?" he asked softly without moving an inch.  
  
"Yeah." she breathed.  
  
"Goodnight." he barely said.  
  
"Goodnight." she answered.  
  
He gave her a kiss on the forehead and left. 


	5. Forgotten

Theresa skimmed through the store for an outfit to wear to her date with Fox that night. She spotted a fashionable dress and went to go for it when she suddenly bumped into Gwen.  
  
"Gwen." she smiled fakely.  
  
"Hi." she answered coldly.  
  
"How's Madison?" Theresa asked.  
  
"Madison's fine. Now if you'll excuse me." she said trying to brush past Theresa, but stopped when she felt Theresa's hand on her shoulder.  
  
"It's hard to believe, but before all of this we were good friends."  
  
"People change." Gwen replied.  
  
"Yeah they do, but not drastically. I didn't become your surrogate mother because I wanted to break up you and Ethan. I did it for that friend that I once knew. The friend that I could confide in." Theresa said wanting to make things right between her and Gwen.  
  
"You didn't confide in me about you and Ethan." Gwen pointed out.  
  
"You want to know the truth Gwen?" Theresa asked as Gwen turned around to face her. "Ethan and I were dating before you and I became friends, and then we did, and things got so complicated and I didn't want to tell you cause I was afraid you'd be hurt and you wouldn't want to be friends anymore. I admit that I felt completely guilty for not telling you. After you and Ethan got married I realized that I needed to move on and I did not have any vendetta to get Ethan back."  
  
"Truthfully?" she asked.  
  
Theresa nodded. "I'm not lying. My feelings for him didn't immediately go away, but I never acted on them because you were my friend and I didn't want to betray you. I seriously thought that me carrying your child for you would patch up things between us."  
  
Gwen looked around and then sighed. "I truly am grateful for what you did for me and Ethan. It's going to take time for me to forget what happened in the past though, you have to understand that."  
  
"I do. Just remember I'll be here whenever you're ready to forgive me." Theresa responded. She gave Gwen a quick smile and went to purchase her dress.  
  
__________________________________________________  
  
"Theresa, you're like floating on a cloud." Whitney laughed as Theresa looked through her closet for the millionth time.  
  
"I don't know. I just have a good feeling about this whole thing with me and Gwen." Theresa smiled.  
  
"I'll believe it when I see it." Whitney said doubtfully.  
  
"Time for a little fashion show." Theresa said as she began to try on dresses.  
  
She first tried on a tight pink dress.  
  
"You look like a pink flamingo." Whitney commented. Hadley laughed and they both exchanged high fives.  
  
Theresa re-entered in a long silk blue dress.  
  
"You look like Mr. Roger's wife." Hadley giggled.  
  
Theresa rolled her eyes at Whitney and Hadley and soon returned in a short brown mini dress.  
  
"5 cent hoe bag!" Hadley screamed.  
  
"5 cent hoe bag." Theresa mouthed to Whitney.   
  
"Hey, you're probably the one who taught her that." Whitney mouthed back.   
  
Theresa laughed and changed into the dress she had bought earlier. It was perfect. It was a black halter top dress with a beautiful white flower print.  
  
"Go Mommy!" Hadley said in satisfaction.  
  
"Shoes!" Theresa said rummaging through her suitcase. She pulled out a pair of black heels and slipped them on. She was making her way over to the full length mirror when she lost her balance and fell to the floor.  
  
Whitney and Hadley instantly cracked up at the sight of Theresa collapsing.  
  
"I'm ok." Theresa muffled as she managed to pull herself up off the floor. She stood up and straightened her dress, just as they heard a knock on the hotel door.  
  
"Oh no!" she exclaimed as she moved around frantically. "I haven't even done my hair yet!"  
  
"Hadley, why don't you got open the door while I help your mom with her hair." Whitney instructed.  
  
Hadley nodded and ran to open the door for Fox. "Hi Daddy!" she greeted him warmly.  
  
"Hey there." he answered. "Is your mom ready?"  
  
"No, Aunt Whitney's helping her get ready."  
  
"Women." Fox smiled as he sat down on the couch.  
  
"So where are you taking her?" Hadley asked.  
  
"Downtown to the Blue Note." Fox answered.  
  
"What are your intentions?" Hadley questioned.  
  
"My intentions?" Fox asked. "Um...to have a good time!"  
  
"Do you plan on marrying my mother?"  
  
"Woah, what's with all the questions?" Fox said laughing.  
  
"I'm just preparing you for when I go on dates." Hadley smiled.  
  
"Now that's a whole different subject."  
  
Finally getting used to her heels, Theresa entered the room to find Hadley and Fox talking. "Let me guess," she began, "Hadley's hammered you with a bunch of questions."  
  
"Yeah." Fox managed to get out as he stared at the stunning Theresa.  
  
"Hadley, I thought I told you to stop that!" Theresa scolded.  
  
"But I always find out cool things." Hadley answered.  
  
"Always?" Fox asked curiously.  
  
"Yeah, Mommy's had a lot of boyfriends." Hadley replied. "One time a guy said he intended to fufill her fantasies."  
  
"Hadley!" Theresa interjected.  
  
Hadley giggled and ran to the room to join Whitney.  
  
Fox began to laugh at what Hadley had said and the expression on Theresa's face.  
  
"Boyfriends, huh?" Fox said later at the Blue Note.  
  
Theresa grinned. "You didn't expect me to drink milk to numb my hormones for 3 years, did you?"   
  
"Just as I didn't expect you to where a muzzle." he joked, remembering a conversation they had had a long time ago.  
  
They both looked at each other and laughed. "Ah, the bet."  
  
"Yes, and you tricked me." he pouted.  
  
"Hey, you used Dawn to clean my carpet." she laughed.  
  
"Those were the times." Fox smiled.  
  
"Yeah." Theresa replied.  
  
"I remember I used to kiss you randomly and you would get so pissed at me."  
  
"Because you confused me." she smiled.  
  
"Shouldn't a kiss tell you something?" he winked.  
  
"Your kisses didn't." she answered.  
  
"Well maybe this kiss will tell you something." he whispered as he kissed her.  
  
"Hmm." she said pulling away. "It tells me that its almost 9:45 and we're not going to meet Hadley's curfew if we don't leave now."  
  
Fox sighed a few minutes later as he and Theresa arrived in front of her hotel room.   
  
"Hey, your uh, your shoes look a little wobbly there." he said as she took a few steps.  
  
"They're fine." she replied as she continued to walk. To her and Fox's surprise, she once again lost her balance and fell.  
  
Embarassed, she immediately jumped up and fixed her dress. "I'm ok." she said holding up her hand.  
  
Fox looked at her and laughed. "Now that I know that, I should be saying goodnight."  
  
"Yep. It's 9:59." Theresa joked.  
  
Fox smiled and leaned in for a kiss when the door suddenly flew open.  
  
"Daddy, haven't you been told?" Hadley said stepping between him and Theresa. "No kisses on the first date."  
  
"Right, no kisses on the first date." Fox answered. He then cleared his throat and turned to Theresa, "Goodnight Theresa and goodnight Hadley."  
  
"Goodnight." they said in unison. They watched Fox as he disappeared down the hall and an excited Hadley demanded for Theresa to tell her every detail.  
  
An hour later a tired Theresa had finally told Hadley every detail and put her to bed. She took off her shoes and collapsed back on her bed just as the phone rang. She groaned and reached over to answer the phone.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Hey baby." the voice on the other line said. "I miss you."  
  
Theresa bolted up and gasped. She had forgotten all about him. 


	6. In Her Shoes

Fox put down the papers he was working on as he heard the sound of footsteps running through the mansion.   
  
"I hope it's not Father and Rebecca playing one of their sick games again." he muttered under his breath.  
  
Soon the the person who was running bursted through his door and jumped into his lap.  
  
"Hi Daddy!" Hadley said brightly.  
  
"Hey sweety." he answered, glad to see her. "Where's your mommy?"  
  
"I can't tell you. I promised not to tell." she shook her head innocently.  
  
"Oh, is that so." he said getting up. "I guess I'll have to go find out for myself." He winked at Hadley and began to search for Theresa. Suddenly, someone jumped on his back, sending him crashing to the ground.  
  
"Ow." Theresa said in between laughs.  
  
Fox chuckled along and slapped his hand on her thigh. "Found you."  
  
"What in heavens name!" Gwen exclaimed as she ran downstairs beside Ethan.  
  
"Theresa, are you ok?" Ethan asked as he saw Theresa sprawled on the floor.   
  
"Yeah, I'm fine." she said as she quickly scrambled up.  
  
"Who are they?" Hadley asked Fox.  
  
"That's Gwen and Ethan." Fox answered.  
  
"Such an adorable little girl." Gwen smiled at Hadley. "What's your name?"  
  
"Hadley." she responded.   
  
"Who's kid is this?'' Rebecca asked as she suddenly appeared.  
  
"Mine." Theresa said speaking up.  
  
"Yours?" Ethan, Gwen, and Rebecca repeated in unison.  
  
"Yes, hers and mine." Fox confirmed.  
  
"Whoa, whoa... I am SO confused." Gwen said.  
  
"Me too." Ethan responded. "You're saying you and Theresa have a child together?"  
  
"Yeah." Theresa said looking at Fox.  
  
"Basically." Fox grinned.  
  
"Poor child." Rebecca said in disgust.  
  
"How-" Ethan began.  
  
"I'm not going to get into any details, expecially not right now." Theresa cut him off.  
  
"You just love to get pregnant, don't you Theresa." Gwen spat.  
  
"What is that supposed to mean?" Fox asked.  
  
"Who cares what it means." Theresa replied.  
  
"Gwen?" Hadley asked.   
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Are you wearing make up powder or foundation?" she asked.  
  
"Foundation..." Gwen said confused at the question the young girl was asking her.  
  
"Oh..cause you missed a spot right there on your nose. You should try to blend it in more."  
  
Gwen gasped at Hadley's comment in embarassment.  
  
"What can I say?" Theresa laughed. "I've taught my daughter well."  
  
"With the likes of you and Fox being her parents, there's no telling what you'll teach her!" Gwen retorted.  
  
"Well, I won't be like Rebecca and teach my child how to manipulate any man and become pregnant to get there money, I also won't teach them the 411 basics of how to frame someone, and I definately won't teach them sick games to play in bed and test them daily on whether their man will be with them the next day." Theresa said sarcastically.  
  
"I think the basics on backstabbing would be your forte." Gwen replied.  
  
"Why should I teach them when I could always send them to the pro herself."  
  
"Ok, that's enough." Ethan finally interrupted them. "Gwen, let's go back to what we were doing and leave them alone."  
  
"You hear that Gwen?" Theresa called after her. "You at least have Ethan for a few more hours!"  
  
"I don't like that lady." Hadley said as they left the mansion.  
  
"Me either." Theresa agreed.  
  
"And I don't like the way you just acted." Fox commented.  
  
"Excuse me?" Theresa replied, thrown off by what he said.  
  
"I'm sorry Theresa but that was really rude of you. For once imagine what it's like in Gwen's shoes. Loosing your child, not being able to have kids of her own. Imagine that and then come talk to me." he said hotly as he turned around and left.  
  
"Daddy's mad." Hadley whispered.  
  
"Well I never." Theresa said angrily. Fox had no right to tell her to be nice to Gwen after all that Gwen had put her through. "I guess I won't be coming to talk to him anytime soon." she took Hadley's hand and walked off the property. 


	7. I love you

Theresa tucked her hair behind her ears as the wind gently breezed past her face.  
  
Paradise View. It had been forever since she had been there. Memories of the time when Fox had taken her there flooded her mind.  
  
"And the bet." she thought to herself as she smiled.  
  
She then saw him sitting with his back to the wall. She knew she would be able to find him here. She slowly made her way over to him and then silently sat down beside him.  
  
"Harmony hasn't changed much." she said softly as she looked down on the town.  
  
"Nope." he replied without shifting his gaze.  
  
Uncomfortable, Theresa fidgeted as she thought of what to say. "Want to tell me why you're angry with me?"  
  
Fox sighed and hesitated before he answered. "I just hate the way you and Gwen treat each other."  
  
"I try..." she began. "I try so hard to be nice..."  
  
"What you said... what you said scared me." he quickly admitted.  
  
"Scared you?" Theresa repeated as she turned to look at him. "Why?"  
  
"You made it seem as if you were going to try to be with Ethan again." Fox confessed.  
  
Theresa quickly shook her head. "That would never happen, Fox. Ethan is in the past and I'm completely over him."  
  
"Remember that time I found you two together?" he asked. "I was so scared that I had lost you to him and that feeling... that feeling I can't even describe. I always thought he was the reason why you left."  
  
"Partly." Theresa answered. "I was confused because he and Gwen were no longer together and he told me he wanted me back and in a way I wanted to start over with him... but I couldn't."  
  
Noticing the way she was making Fox uncomfortable, Theresa turned his face so that she was looking into his eyes. "I couldn't because I had these feelings for you that I was so confused about. I had vowed never to love anyone again and then you came along and I didn't want to give in because I thought I would end up hurt."  
  
"I would never hurt you." he whispered as he took her hand in his.  
  
"And that's what I know now... but then... god Fox, I had been hurt so many times..." Theresa silently began to cry.  
  
"Theresa, when I look at you I see a beautiful strong woman who's captured my heart and I would never hurt you."  
  
"I've captured your heart?" she slightly grinned.  
  
"Yeah." Fox said softly. "You are my heart."  
  
He gently pulled her into a passionate kiss as he ran his fingers through her hair.  
  
"I'm in too deep." Theresa moaned as the kiss ended.  
  
"What do you mean?" he asked.  
  
Theresa smiled through the tears as she looked up at him. She knew that now she could say it. "I love you." she said gently but with assurance.  
  
An emotional Fox pulled Theresa close to him. For hours the two of them sat there in each other's arms, never wanting to let go. 


End file.
